


Out of the Abyss: A Backstory

by Arrow101



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Forgotten Realms, Out of the Abyss - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Gen, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Other, Past Rape/Non-con, Threats of Rape/Non-Con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:21:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26866561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arrow101/pseuds/Arrow101
Summary: A young cleric of Kelemvor named Moira with an unfortunate bloodline runs away from her temple after an incident involving abilities she's tried to ignore her entire life. She gets captured by the Drow shortly after and taken to a slave prison in the Underdark, but that's a story for my D&D group and our Out of the Abyss campaign. This story details what happened to the ones she left behind during their search for their missing loved one.
Relationships: Original D&D Character(s)/Original D&D Character(s), Original D&D Character(s)/Other(s), Original Dhampir Character/Original Aasimar Character, Original Dungeons & Dragons Character(s) & Original Dungeons & Dragons Character(s), Original Female Character/Original Female Character
Kudos: 1





	Out of the Abyss: A Backstory

It was a gloomy morning when the sun finally rose over Kelstead, for quite a few reasons, actually. The main one was that a heavy fog had descended over the town during the night, leaving the air feeling heavy and damp. The elderly in town complained of the way it made their bones ache, and some of the more superstitious folk in the small city bolted their doors and windows a little tighter and said a few extra prayers for the day. The city itself had sprung up out of a need to defend the surrounding villages from the Drow that raided out of the entrance to the Underdark about 20 miles east, and the fog made the garrison stationed there uneasy.

The other reason was the commotion at a temple just outside of the city. The temple was dedicated to Kelemvor, Lord of the Dead and Judge of the Damned, and the temple was surrounded on all sides by a massive graveyard where the people of Kelstead had been getting buried for generations. It was here that the fog was the thickest, but that was not what was causing the uneasy feeling in the followers of Kelemvor that morning.

At least, not yet.

Diana, one of the temple's most experienced paladins, sat bolt upright in bed with a yell. But it was not her regular nightmares that had woken her today. It was the High Priest of the temple, Aberron, who had barged into her room yelling her name. Before she realized who he was, she had leapt out of bed and into a fighting stance, brandishing a dagger in one hand and a wooden stake in the other.

“By the Spire, Diana!” Aberron exclaimed, putting his hands up in defense. “It’s me, Aberron!”

The wild, fearful look in Diana’s eyes died down and she relaxed. Well, relaxed isn’t really the right word. Her fighting stance had been replaced by her usual rigid, strict posture, very much resembling that of a particularly strict school teacher. She leveled Aberron with her signature steely gaze that always gave the impression that she was slightly disappointed in everyone around her all the time.

“What in the name of Kelemvor’s knickers are you doing barging into my chambers, High Priest?” she demanded sternly. He was a good priest and well deserving of the position, but still young and new to the job after the recent passing of his mother, the late High Priestess Evangeline.

Diana had taught him herself when she was just a boy, and on reflex, he immediately straightened up under her gaze and cleared his throat. “Er, sorry to disturb you, but… there’s been an accident and, well…”

When he trailed off and would not meet her gaze, Diana scoffed and snapped, “Well, spit it out, Aberron!”

Aberron winced and looked at her. “... Nobody can find Moira.”

Diana’s steely expression immediately melted into worry. “Let me get dressed.”

\---  


Once Diana was decent, Aberron led her to another room. This one was Moira’s. There was a full bed, a desk with papers written in Moira’s messy handwriting scattered about, and a bookcase filled with books. Most of the books were on the undead, but to Diana’s slight dismay, there were also a few romance novels and the books didn’t seem to be arranged in any particular order. There were already two other priests in the room standing on either side of the bed, hovering over someone.

Diana stalked over to the foot of the bed and glowered down at the young woman sitting in her daughter’s bed who was definitely not her daughter.

“Amethyne,” was all she said, and she said it with so much ice in her voice that Aberron winced and took a step back from whatever was about to happen.

Even in the state she was in, Amethyne was an exceptionally beautiful woman in her early thirties. She was so beautiful even Diana found it hard to look her in the eye and speak sometimes. Her curly, dark hair was usually pulled back into a short ponytail, but right now, it was down and messy and came down to just past her shoulders. Her dark brown eyes were always full of life and humor, but right now there was a tinge of worry in them. She was supported by the pillows the priests had stacked behind her and she had her neck tilted to one side while they treated it, but she was no less beautiful and she still found the strength to meet the older paladin’s steely gaze with a crooked grin. “Oh hey Diana. Fancy meeting you here. What’s new with you?”

Diana’s expression went from disappointed to an angry scowl. When she spoke next, she was barely able to keep her voice even. “What happened? Where is Moira?”

Amethyne at least had the decency to look away from her then, but her expression was less ashamed and more worried. “Last night, we were… becoming intimate.” At Diana’s darkened expression, Amethyne scoffed. “Oh, don’t give me that look. This wasn’t some spur of the moment thing. We’ve been in love for years whether you want to believe it or not, and this was the first time. Or… would’ve been the first time.”

Ignoring the anger in favor of the worry she felt for her daughter, Diana ignored most of this and simply demanded. “Well? What happened?”

One of the priests pulled away from her to get something out of his medicine kit, revealing the wound on Amethyne’s neck. Diana winced, being all too familiar with what was clearly a messy bite from vampire fangs. She sucked in a breath and her hand instinctively went to rub scars from a similar wound on her own neck.

When she spoke next, there was a softness to her voice that was rare. “She bit you…”

Amethyne nodded slowly, wincing at the movement. One of the priests started wrapping it in bandages. “Yeah… she did… which, honestly, was kind of a turn on at first.” Amethyne ignored the renewed anger radiating off of Diana and continued, “But then… she didn’t let go. And she started to suck… and at some point I passed out.” When the priests finished bandaging her neck, she drew her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. “When I woke up a half hour ago, she was long gone. Her travelling clothes were gone, as were her weapons… and the Holy Symbol I gave her for her birthday.”

“You gave her _what_?” Diana’s expression was entirely livid now and her voice trembling with anger, but she didn’t care. “Amethyne, how _dare_ you-”

“No Diana, how dare _you_!” Ignoring the priests objections and Diana’s affronted expression, Amethyne leapt out of bed. She swayed slightly but quickly steadied herself so she could face Diana properly. “Moira wanted to learn how to fight and you ignored her wishes, so Evangeline taught her instead! She’s been blessed by Lord Kelemvor and you tried to make her ignore his gifts and be content with a life tending graves, despite the fact that she wanted to go out into the world!” Amethyne scoffed in disbelief and continued, “ You know, this is all your damned fault, Diana! If you had ever, even once, allowed her even a small amount of freedom and self expression, if you weren’t _afraid_ of your _own daughter_ , this never would’ve happened!”

Diana felt her heart shatter into a million pieces, but she hid it well. She’d had a lot of practice hiding her emotions over the years, after all. “I have kept her safe! Safe from the world, a world that would hate and fear her for what she is!”

“You mean like you do?!”

Diana flinched and missed the almost imperceptible regret in Amethyne's eyes. Diana clenched her fists and took a step forward threateningly, but Aberron suddenly came between them, looking stern. “What the hell is wrong with you two?” he demanded. “You both clearly care about Moira very much. Why the hell are you fighting over her when she’s missing?!”

Diana and Amethyne continued to glare at each other for a few moments until Diana finally averted her gaze. Amethyne looked at Aberron and asked, “Did anyone see or hear anything last night?”

Aberron relaxed a little. “The priest on duty last night said she took some armor and travel supplies from storage last night, and someone else said they thought they saw her headed toward the city, but the fog was just starting to roll in at the time so they weren’t sure.”

“Wait, wait, wait... fog?” Diana’s attention was suddenly fixed on the window and she stared out at the thick fog. Her expression went from angry to… something no one could identify. Something between wistful and… absolutely terrified. It was definitely not an expression any of them had seen on her face very often. “When did this roll in?”

Aberron frowned. “I… sometime during the night, I believe. Why?”

Diana spun on her heel and started to run, her normally calm and cool demeanor suddenly transforming into something more frantic. “We have to find Moira. _NOW!_ ”

\---

Late in the afternoon, after searching the temple high and low for Moira, Amethyne was walking into her favorite tavern in Kelstead. It was oddly deserted tonight, which made Amethyne frown. The bartender was an older woman that she knew really well by now and greeted her by name as she walked in.

“Hey, Liv!” Amethyne greeted in return, grinning.

“Amethyne! Where’s that girl of yours tonight, huh?” the bartender asked, with a knowing twinkle in her eye.

Amethyne let out an uneasy laugh. “Actually, I’m not sure. That’s why I’m here. You seen her around today?”

“Nah, ‘fraid not, kid. You two have a lovers’ spat or something?”

Amethyne put a hand to her bandaged throat and frowned. “No… not exactly. I- what? Why are you staring at me like that?”

In a hushed whisper, the bartender asked, “You were attacked too? Did you report it?”

Amethyne stared at her in confusion. “What do you mean, ‘attacked’? And what do you mean ‘too’?”

“Oh… my apologies. It’s just that… apparently, the guards found a couple of people with wounds on their neck and completely drained of blood early this morning. Everyone’s terrified to step outside of their doors tonight, just in case.”

So that was why the tavern was deserted and there were hardly any people milling about in the streets. With a frown on her face, Amethyne’s eyes wandered over to the window and she walked over to it. That same dense fog was beginning to roll in again… how strange…

With a gasp of horror, everything suddenly clicked into place. Diana’s sudden fear and fervent search for her daughter, the fog, the bite marks…

“The graveyard,” Amethyne whispered to herself, and then louder she said, “Oh gods! _Diana!_ ” And she bolted out of the tavern and ran as fast as she could back to the temple.

\---

Meanwhile, back at the temple…

When Amethyne decided to head to the city to look for Moira with a few others, Diana turned her attention to the massive graveyard. With a team of paladins and clerics spread out among the graves, armed with wooden stakes and all wooden crossbow bolts, they went about the task of searching the crypts. All of the crypts, but Diana had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that they wouldn’t find anything in any of them.

But she kept that information to herself. Part of her didn’t want to believe what she knew in her gut to be true, and another part of her wanted him to herself. She was not the same teenage girl she had been 40 years ago. She would finally accomplish the goal she had been training for all these years.

Diana spent the next several hours helping to search crypts throughout the graveyard, besides the one that she did not want to go to. But after a while it became clear to her what she would have to do. It had been 40 years since she had been within sight of this particular crypt because it made her feel sick, but the thought of her daughter in that monster’s clutches helped to steel her gut. When no one was looking, she slipped away into the fog that was already starting to form again.

The sun had almost set. They were almost out of time.

Diana approached the crypt cautiously, with her crossbow out in front of her. It was one of the bigger, older ones in the graveyard and one of the furthest away from the temple itself. The door was closed, but when Diana tried to open it, it swung open easily. It wasn’t sealed anymore. She swore under her breath, steeled her nerves, and entered the crypt.

Diana’s eyes fell on him immediately and she almost let out a scream. The same face that had haunted her nightmares for forty years was just lying there inside of a coffin. The remains of whoever had inhabited it before him lay scattered all over the floor, along with a lot of blood and other gruesome things that Diana didn’t care to investigate closer just then. Diana’s jaw clenched and she glared at his almost peaceful looking face. Her finger tightened around the trigger of her crossbow…

… and then suddenly a huge, furry creature leapt at her and knocked her down. The crossbow bolt released and bounced off of the side of the crypt wall, and the crossbow was knocked out of her hands and went skittering across the floor. Diana yelped and lashed out with her fists, and managed to connect hard with very furry flesh that whimpered and shifted its weight enough in response that Diana was able to scramble from underneath him and stand up. She came face to face with a huge wolf, but she ignored him for the moment and spun around to face the coffin.

But it was too late. The coffin was empty, and suddenly, what little light was coming from the doorway was blocked.

Diana whipped around again, her bastard sword already in her hand. Sure enough, he was standing there, looking as smug and evil as he had 40 years ago. His robes and cape were made of the finest of silks, his hair still looked stupid and slicked back, and he still had that same ridiculous looking goatee he had 40 years ago.

“Isholekai,” was the only word Diana spoke, with her lip curled in disgust.

The vampire lord chuckled, and when he spoke, it was almost mocking. “Diana. You’ve gotten old… but you’re still as beautiful as ever. And you remembered our spot! I’m flattered.”

Diana chuckled darkly. “I’ve been waiting for this for forty years, you filthy abomination. I knew you’d come back to finish me off someday. And I’ve spent forty years preparing to take you down.”

Isholekai laughed out loud and took a single, menacing step in her direction. “Well, Diana, I am sorry to disappoint, but you’re going to have to wait a little longer. You see… I’m not here for you.”

Diana narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “What are you here for then?”

With a malicious grin that showed off his fangs, he said, “Why… Moira, my daughter, of course.”

Diana’s blood went cold and she couldn’t hide the worry and confusion that flashed across her face. “How the hell did you know about her, you evil bastard?”

The vampire shrugged, taking another step toward her, and said, “Do you really think what happened was an accident? That I didn’t know exactly what I was doing? I chose you for a purpose, Diana, and I really think you should be grateful. You gave birth to the future queen of my realm, after all.”

Diana growled, “You’re a damned fool if you really think she would ever agree to that, Isholekai. Besides, she’s not even here! As much as I disagree with her choices, Kelemvor, Lord of the Dead, has decided to bless her with his gifts and she’s decided to leave and follow a path as one of his clerics. She’s gone.”

Isholekai crossed his arms and sighed, looking and sounding every bit like a disappointed father. Diana honestly couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or sincere. Or at least as sincere as an evil, undead monster could be.

“Well, that just won’t do. I’m thoroughly disappointed in her, but… no matter! No matter!” Isholekai smiled, and the sight of that smile made Diana’s stomach turn. “She doesn’t have to agree. She just has to submit. Which I guess will be no easy task, since I bet she takes after her mother as the _second_ most stubborn woman on this plane of existence, but… she will submit nonetheless. And you Diana… I will make sure you are there to watch our daughter be… reborn.”

With a yell of rage, Diana lashed out with her sword. Isholekai laughed at first and held up a bare hand to stop the blade, but as it touched his skin, he screamed in pain and pulled his hand back suddenly. The cut was smoldering, and his burning red eyes turned on Diana. He was still trying to play the disappointed, estranged father but Diana could tell she had awoken the beast within him.

Barely concealing his rage, Isholekai smiled at her but it looked more like a grimace. “Now, now Diana… I really do not want to have to kill you. I would prefer Moira to come with me willingly, and killing you will only make that task harder.”

“You’re going to have to kill me anyway if you want to get to Moira, because I will never let that happen!” Diana slammed her bastard sword into the ground, and the pommel, which was engraved with the symbol of Kelemvor, gleamed brightly.

Isholekai laughed. “Oh, Diana… you can’t make me-” He stopped mid sentence and looked down at his feet. He was mid step and clearly straining against Diana’s divinity trying to turn him away. “Huh… you really have gotten stronger, haven’t you?” Despite his obvious strain, he managed to take a step, and then another. He grinned at her lasciviously.

Then he leapt, too quickly for Diana to hit him with her sword again or even dodge out of the way. He grabbed her by her throat and lifted her up with ease, then slammed her against the wall. She cried out in pain and dropped her sword to struggle against his vice-like grip.

Isholekai got in her face, pressing his body against her in a way that made her skin crawl, and chuckled. “But, unfortunately for you, Diana… even the mightiest of Kelemvor’s lackeys couldn’t take me on alone.”

“She’s not alone!”

The sudden voice came from the doorway, clear and strong. Isholekai snapped his head around in surprise, and Diana managed to turn her head enough to look.

Amethyne was standing in the doorway, her eyes burning with a hatred as she stared down this undead monstrosity. Her own bastard sword was out as well. It looked similar to Diana’s, with the symbol of Kelemvor on the pommel, but much newer. The point of it was aimed right at Isholekai’s head.

“Let her go, asshole,” Amethyne growled, taking a step inside the crypt.

Isholekai smirked and gave a nod to his wolf companion. The wolf immediately leapt at Amethyne with a growl, but Amethyne’s reflexes were too quick. She dodged his razor sharp claws and slashed upward with her sword, slicing the wolf open. He landed with a thud and a whimper and did not get up again.

Isholekai snarled. He strengthened his grip on Diana, then tossed her aside. She slammed against another wall and landed in a heap with a groan of pain.

“Diana!” Amethyne cried and started to rush forward instinctively.

“You!” Isholekai said, baring his fangs in anger. “Now I’ve got to find another wolf to do my bidding!”

Amethyne grinned at him crookedly and shrugged. “Oh noooo. What. A. Shame. From the bottom of my heart, Mr. Bloodbreath… my bad,” she said in the most sarcastically sympathetic tone she could muster.

With an angry roar, Isholekai darted forward and grabbed her as she cried out. He picked her up, then slammed her to the ground. When Amethyne tried to bounce back up, the vampire shoved his very expensive looking boots into her throat. She choked and might’ve vomited if she’d been able.

Isholekai laughed out loud. He pulled his gaze away from Amethyne struggling against his boot and looked over at Diana. “Oh, this one is absolutely stunning, Diana! What do you say I take a trip down memory lane, hm? Recreate a little scene from forty years ago, maybe see if I can’t give Moira a little brother or sister huh?”

Amethyne suddenly stopped struggling and looked up at him. Not in shock or fear, she simply… stared at him with a look of utter rage and defiance at the reveal of who he was to Moira and Diana.

Diana struggled to her feet, gasping. “Don’t you dare… I’m the one you want.”

Isholekai simply laughed again. “Oh Diana… you don’t understand. I. Want. _Everything_. But right now, most of all, I want Moi- what the _hell_ are you laughing at?” His attention had been drawn once again to the beautiful girl beneath his boot, who had started laughing hysterically.

Amethyne shook her head and tried to stop laughing long enough to speak. “It’s just… it’s really funny because you… your dumbass thinks I’m just another paladin of Kelemvor.” A cold smile split her face as she stared at him and her eyes started to glow. “But I am so much more than that, fang face.”

\---

Outside in the graveyard, a few dozen priests, paladins, and clerics of the temple were spread out among the gravestones. It had stopped being a search for Moira about 20 minutes ago and instead turned into a search for Diana, who had gone missing from her group. Aberron was in quite the state, running around searching for his mentor and friend with the others, demanding that they keep looking no matter how dark it got.

Suddenly, an impossibly bright light lit up their half of the graveyard. Aberron had to shield his eyes against it, but he managed to spot where the bright light was coming from. It was one of the crypts… wait a minute…

“Oh, Kelemvor's knickers… I know that crypt,” he mumbled under his breath. The light lasted for about 6 seconds, and when it finally died, he shouted, “It came from the Collins crypt! That must be where she is! Go!”

By the time Aberron had entered the crypt, the only two people who were in it were Amethyne and Diana. Diana was sitting hunched over against a wall and Amethyne was kneeling beside her with her hands on her back, healing her. Almost immediately, Diana straightened up a little and started to stand. She clearly wasn’t back to full health, but she wasn’t looking as bad as she had been.

And... wait, was Amethyne smoking slightly?

“Diana! Amethyne! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Aberron said, rushing to help Amethyne bear Diana’s weight. “By the spire! What happened to you two?”

Diana was staring in wonder at Amethyne, and Amethyne was pointedly avoiding her gaze. Instead, Amethyne looked down at Aberron. “We have to find Moira as soon as we can. She’s in danger.”

Aberron nodded. “You’re in luck then. I think we know where she was headed…”


End file.
